Man wounded by Arundel police

Officer responding to report of suicidal person allegedly threatened with rifle before firing

May 03, 2006|By ANNIE LINSKEY | ANNIE LINSKEY,SUN REPORTER

A Herald Harbor man was shot in the stomach yesterday afternoon outside his home by one of three Anne Arundel County police officers he allegedly threatened with a rifle, authorities said.

Ricky Alan Brown, 49, of the 1100 block of Sunrise Beach Road was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was reported in serious condition last night.

The 10-year county police veteran who shot Brown was placed on administrative leave pending an internal inquiry and an investigation by homicide detectives -- both routine procedures in shootings that involve county officers, said Lt. David D. Waltemeyer Jr., a spokesman for the county police.

The name of the officer, who is a patrolman assigned to the county's western district, was not released.

Amy Singleton, who identified herself as Brown's niece, said there have been several recent deaths in the family. "Our family is going through a rough time," she said, standing across the road from the house.

"He's a wonderful guy, a wonderful man," she said of her uncle, adding that he works as a contractor and has two teenage children.

Yellow police tape blocked the entrance to a dirt road that leads to the house, set back from Sunrise Beach Road in a rural section of Herald Harbor.

Standing across the street from the yellow tape, Waltemeyer gave this account of the incident:

Police received a phone call at 3 p.m. from a doctor who said there was "a suicidal person" who might be "highly intoxicated" at the Sunrise Beach Road address. Three patrol officers -- riding in two cars -- arrived and saw Brown step outside with a rifle, according to Waltemeyer's account.

Waltemeyer said Brown went back into the house and came out a second time, still carrying the rifle.

"The officer gave a verbal command to put down the weapon," Waltemeyer said. "He felt his life was in danger."

When Brown did not put down the rifle, Waltemeyer said, the officer fired at least two shots at Brown. "The officers are trained to stop a threat," he said.

Police confiscated the rifle; Waltemeyer declined to say whether it was loaded.

According to police, an officer at the scene reported the shooting at 3:13 p.m.

The other two officers at the scene were a two-year member of the department and a recent academy graduate who was in training. Police said Brown was the only person at the house.

Two years ago, Brown was injured in a serious fire at his house, according to a February 2004 article published in The (Annapolis) Capital. The paper also reported in May 2004 that Brown was ordered by a county judge to abstain from using alcohol.